Rogue's Choice
by Zaeris
Summary: X3 Spoiler. When Rogue comes back at the end of X3, Storm confronts her about the decision she has made. Oneshot, Please review.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own any rights to X-Men or any of the characters in this story. Be glad because I certainly wouldn't have created them so well. Please enjoy.

**Rogue's choice**

**by**

**Zodiac Eclipse**

Storm walked purposefully through the mansion. Students instinctively moved out of her way as she walked. Logan had told her that Rogue was back from getting the cure. She couldn't believe how irresponsible he was for letting the girl go. 'No,' Storm shook her head, Rogue wasn't a child anymore, she had proved that when she had left, when she had let them inject her with their poison that would make her fit in, make her just another one of _them. _

Storm heard laughter from the TV room and glanced toward it and spotted Rogue's white highlight from among the group of kids gathered inside. Stepping through the doorway the room fell cold as Storm glared at the scene before her. Some of the students noticed and looked up at her, but Rogue wasn't one of them.

"Why did you come back?" Storm's words were angry. Her eyes flared at the girl sitting on the couch laughing with her friends.

"Storm," Marie's eyes widened in surprise her smile disappeared quickly. Silence fell awkwardly for a moment between them before all the other students quickly got up and left pushing the door to the television room shut behind them.

"I asked you a question," Storm crossed her arms over her slender form. There was an edge to her voice.

"I had nowhere else ta' go," Marie pleaded. Her lip trembled slightly, she had known Storm didn't approve of the 'cure' but surely the older mutant could understand.

"You don't belong here anymore, this is a safe place for mutants, not people who change who they are just to fit in," Storm glared.

"That's not why I did it," Marie protested. Tears threatening to fall at the thought of being so misunderstood. Storm noticed the girl's resolve wavering and sighed deeply.

"Rogue, your powers were a gift, how could you throw them away?"

Marie's hands shook slightly, how could she explain herself. She knew this was what she had wanted, but everyone else had been so accepting, had allowed her to come back in. Storm held her beliefs so strongly, was there anyway to make her understand that some people didn't want to be special?

"You're wrong Storm," she said finally looking down at the floor, afraid to look into the eyes of her mentor.

"Haven't you learned anything since you came here? We are different from them for a reason." Storm walked quickly over to where the girl was seated, standing in front of her, arms still crossed defensively.

"It wasn't about being different," Marie protested, at last raising her gaze to meet the women's standing in front of her.

"Then what was it about?" Storm's voice was still sharp, but her eyes betrayed her curiosity. What could make someone behave so cowardly? What could make someone turn their back on who they were just to make others happy?

"Why did you do it Rogue?" Storm's voice was softer now, she wanted to understand, or at least try to understand, "Was it for Bobby?"

"No, of course not," Marie looked up darkly at the insinuation, "Bobby didn't want me to take the cure, he wanted me to stay how I was."

"Then why didn't you?" Storm raised her eyebrows in slight surprise, she had thought surely the girl had done this for no more reason then a crush. While she had not believed that Bobby Drake was to blame for Rogue's decision, she had felt certain that being able to be closer to him had been her reason.

"I did it for me, it was what I wanted." Marie's voice was calm, rational.

"I can't believe that. Not after all the Professor taught you." Storm said angrily. She at last sat down on the soft couch sinking in next to the younger women. Her eyes still harsh as she studied the girl.

"I guess it's hard for you to know what it's like," Marie said sadly.

"What being a mutant? Being a teenager whose different from everyone around you? Having people be afraid of you, hate you for who you are? I know all about it," Storm snapped.

Marie shook her head sadly.

"Not that, we all know about that."

"Then what?"

"Your powers really are a gift Storm," Marie began, Storm opened her mouth to speak, but Marie just raised her hand asking for silence, "please let me finish."

"Very well," Storm nodded.

"You have a gift, you can use your powers to protect those you care for and fight for what you believe in. You could even live like a normal person if you wanted to, but you choose to stand up for what you believe in, to change the world, to make things better."

Storm nodded slowly wondering where the girl was leading with this.

"My powers were a curse."

"That's not true!" Storm snapped.

"You wanted an reason, please let me finish," Marie said, her voice trembling. Storm frowned but remained silent, Marie continued.

"I couldn't use my powers to fight evil, I couldn't use them to protect the ones I care about. Maybe in some small way me having powers might somehow change how the world is, but there is no way to know. All my powers were good for was isolating me from everyone I care about."

"Most mutants feel isolated and unaccepted Rogue," Storm said, sounding preachy and a little exhausted at having to deliver the same message over and over.

"Yeah, they might feel that way, but for me it wasn't only mental isolation, it was physical, emotional, don't you understand Storm? I didn't wanna live my life without being able to live it." Marie said quickly her voice growing louder as she spoke, "Some mutants might be afraid of being close to anyone because of their powers, but they could still make the choice to be close or not. I couldn't make a choice, I had to be shut off from everyone who cared about me."

Storm bit her lip in thought. She was calm now, her mind busy processing what the young girl had told her. Hank had been right, who was she to determine how other people should live. At first the sheer implication that there was a 'cure' for being a mutant had made her blood boil. It was as if they were saying mutants were a disease and needed to be dealt instead of accepted.

Somewhere between the black and white of the issue she had forgotten the many shades of gray. Rogue was one of those shades. Perhaps she needed to work harder to see the gray. It would have been difficult to come back knowing how other mutants would feel about her taking the cure. Even now some humans might still distrust her because she had once been a mutant.

"I still wish you hadn't done what you did," Storm said slowly causing Marie to tear up slightly, "but I think you did it for the right reasons."

"Does that mean I can stay?" Marie's voice was hopeful.

"Stay here as long as you like, you will always be one of us."

Marie smiled and took Storm's hand in her own. It was still awkward for her to be able to touch people, but she was starting to get used to it. Storm looked into Rogue's eyes and for the first time since she had come back, realized the girls true strength.

"It was my choice, I finally got to make a choice."

**The End**

(Author's note) After the movie I just felt like there should be some scene between these two since they were both on opposite sides of an issue that was very important to both characters. Please Review and let me know what you think, or if you think it would have gone differently.

-ZE


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